Dario Franchitti joins Formula E commentary team

When the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship kicks off in September, it will bring its electric racing action to cities around the world, including two in the United States, two in South America, three in Europe and two in the Far East, with one more race still to be announced. But if your town is not on the list – or even if it is and you just can't get enough of the excitement – we've got good news: series organizers are hard at work licensing the broadcasting rights to television stations around the world.

The races will be shown on Fox Sports in the US, TV Asahi in Japan and ITV in the UK. The series has lined up a solid team of commentators to bring it all to life, and that team will, it has now been announced, be headlined by none other than Dario Franchitti.

If the name doesn't ring a bell, we're sorry to tell you that you're not much of a racing fan. Franchitti is one of the most successful drivers in the history of IndyCars, winning the series championship four times and the headline Indianapolis 500 three times, only retiring recently after a major crash.

Joining Franchitti on the commentary team will be Jack Nicholls, a young sports commentator who's covered everything from Formula One to the Winter Olympics in Sochi; BBC science correspondent Nicki Shields; and Red Drawf star Robert Llewellyn (you may know him from his show Fully Charged) who'll be doing a series of technical features to broadcast on YouTube.

Franchitti, who recently retired from racing following a glittering career, will act as co-commentator and driver pundit when the season gets underway in September alongside lead commentator Jack Nicholls. Anchoring the coverage will be presenter and pitlane reporter Nicki Shields.

In addition to presenting BBC1's Escape to the Country, The Gadget Show Live and at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Nicki Shields is a keen scientist with a degree in biology and a passion for technology and motorsport. Heading up the commentary box is Jack Nicholls who despite being just 24 brings with him a wealth of experience providing world commentary feeds for the FIA GT Series, FIA Formula 2 Championship, Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and Formula 1 for BBC Radio 5 Live.
To date, Formula E has signed live television deals with some of the world's largest broadcasters including FOX Sports – covering 88 territories across the globe – Japan's TV Asahi and ITV in the UK, with details of further rights to be announced shortly.

Technology and environmental enthusiast Robert Llewellyn, best known for playing Kryten in the UK TV sitcom Red Dwarf and presenting Scrapheap Challenge, will also present a series of technical features via the championship's official YouTube channel.

Franchitti, who is one of IndyCar's most decorated and legendary drivers with 31 victories and 33 poles, said: "It is no secret that I have a passion for the history and evolution of motorsports. To be on the team that will now cover an exciting new racing category is a great honour and I can't wait to see how the Formula E cars perform when the lights go out in Beijing."

Ali Russell, Director of Marketing and TV, added: "We're delighted to be unveiling our host TV commentary team today which we believe ensures fans have the complete range of expertise to guide them through the championship from scientists and technology experts to experienced motorsport commentators and legendary drivers."

The three will provide English language commentary, news and in-depth analysis for all 10 Formula E races which will be offered to rights holders in addition to the comprehensive coverage produced by host broadcaster Aurora Media Worldwide (AMW).

For more information on Formula E visit www.fiaformulae.com or for further details on TV coverage log onto: www.fiaformulae.com/television. To watch the introductory video of the new Formula E TV commentary team click here.

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